Avenger
by Arion
Summary: Rated M for angst.


_Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its' characters are copyright of their rightful owners. The plot and story are copyright of me. DO NOT reproduce without permission._

_WARNING: Rated R for violence and angst._

**_Also, this is NOT a yaoi fanfic in any shape or form. I know it may seem like it at some parts, but it isn't. _**

_Twisted Avenger_

_"…he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. **All in vain; because Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim." – The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe **_

            His chest rose. His entire body shook, struggling to take in every single breath. His dark hair and tan skin contrasted dramatically with the pale white of his hospital gown and the bed he was in. The room, calm and quiet, the only noise disrupting the silence being the rhythmic beeping of the monitors around him, contrasted with the rest of us who encircled him in this moment of weakness. Heero has fallen, and this time he has fallen hard. He was no longer the person we knew and for the first time, we all saw him for what he truly was – human. 

"You _are_ only human, aren't you?" I murmured softly, but no one heard for they were all entranced in troubled thoughts of their own. Everyone had thought he was indestructible, the Perfect Soldier. But he wasn't, he was the same as the rest of them, but they had long forgotten that. Perhaps I myself had forgotten, or maybe I just never knew. The many times he almost got himself killed in battle, intentionally or not, he always survived. Now that I think about it, we all had. Funny how life works that way. He had lived through the war, many years of ruthless battles, but in the end he was brought down by a single shot in the back. Any coward can stab a person in the back, but it takes real guts to punch them in the face, I always said, and this bastard was a real coward. Unskilled and simply lucky, he had caught Heero in a single moment of unawareness. But what makes my blood boil, is that he's still out there; free, while Heero is here, fighting for his life perhaps one last time. 

The day when the war finally ended, I remember as all of us, the survivors, watched the remains of the war burn away, the highest of flames licking the bottom of the night sky and the black smoke tainting the pearly moon. 

"So it's over," I grinned as I turned to look at him, both of us illuminated in the crimson glow. 

"It's never over," he murmured back, his Prussian orbs never leaving the inferno. 

I blinked then, not exactly understanding, but not questioning either. If only I had known how right he was. Maybe, god, maybe he would have been fine.

 I know I will never forget his face when it happened. Unlike the others, I was there, I saw it happen and worst of all, I froze. How many times had I seen people get shot, even killed? I've lost count, but the fact that it was him, made all the difference. I didn't even think to look around for the shouter, all that I saw was him and the ruby colored stain on his crisp, white, button down shirt. A look of shocked passed over his features and for the first time, I caught a glimpse of helplessness and genuine pain in his already slightly glazed eyes. He crumpled to the ground, no longer able to stand, and still I remained motionless watching him. How strange and heartless, must I have looked to anyone who was around, but I couldn't do anything. I lost all control of my body and couldn't do a damn thing even as he fell to his side, his eyes turning up to look at me in a daze. I wonder if he blamed me for not knowing, not helping him. I wonder if his last thoughts before he blacked out were of what a failure and disgrace I had been. Tears stung my eyes, and I turned slightly to hide them from the others. All I ever wanted was to please him, for him to realize that I had been a true friend. After all, he was mine.

*          *          *

_He tossed and turned, the bed sheets writhing beneath him. Duo's hands gripped the blanket and flung it to the floor in blind sleeping fury. Images of Heero haunted him, not letting him sleep, but not releasing him from the nightmare either. _

_Suddenly with a scream, he shot up in his bed. His throat ached, a sour taste filled his mouth, and yet he continued to scream until there was nothing left. Hot tears burned his eyes and he swiped angrily at the salty liquid that was starting to ooze down his cheeks. Breath came in ragged gasps, as he tried to fill his aching lungs with soothing oxygen. A shaky hand reached up and brushed sweaty, chestnut bangs out of his violet eyes. _

_He jumped at a sudden bang, his hand instinctively going for the gun on the dresser next to his bed. A split second later, he realized it was the bedroom window being slammed open by a gust of wind, bringing rain with it. A pair of violet eyes stared blankly as the white curtains rose and fell along with the wet wind as it entered his bedroom in frenzy. Looking past the window, he saw a wall of rain as the storm tossed it about angrily; he hadn't realize it was pouring. A flash of lightning ripped through the night sky, momentarily illuminating everything and exaggerating every detail in its harsh light. The night reflected his mood perfectly, sad, yet troubled and angry. It was almost as if the world was crying, and grieving for Heero along with him._

_Another blast of air showered him with thousands droplets of water, and seemed to have brought him out of his daze for he stood, and stumbled towards the window. _

_The curtains were damp with rainwater, small pools of it collecting on the floorboards as he staggered over it, barefoot. He shivered at the crisp air as it blew in his face, yet he made no move the close the window, instead, he leaned against the window ceil and stared out into the night, letting the wind and rain do as they pleased. His eyes drifted downward until a sudden movement broke his unfocused gaze._

_Duo blinked and looked closer into the darkness six stories down at the corner of a building to the right of his apartment complex where he had thought he'd seen a shadow. Nothing out of the ordinary was spotted and just as he turned to close the window and go back to sleep, a barely visible dark shape retreated into the shadows behind the apartment complex._

_*          *          *_

_The several nights that followed Duo had spent seeking out his mysterious stalker.__ The lights turned off, giving the impression that the occupant of the apartment was asleep, he would crouch near the window on the staircase and watch as the shadow reappeared every night and not always in the same place.  _

_One particular night, the it emerged only for a few brief minutes on the fire escape on the same level of the building across the street from Duo's. He thought he had seen a flash and then heard the braking of glass. His head snapped toward the sound; when he turned back, the shadow was gone. Back in his bedroom, he found a neat round hole in his window and a bullet casing implanted in the pillows he had placed under the sheets to give the impression he had been in his bed. _

_Someone had tried to kill him, but why? The war had been over for more than a year, he and the others were no longer of any importance. So why would someone want to take his life, **now**? Revenge? Some sick form of justice? He didn't know, but he would find out._

_The following night, the mystifying phantom was back across the street from the apartment, watching with hawk eyes to make certain he had accomplished his mission. He was so intently focused on the sixth floor window of the old brick building that he did not see a shadow much like his own creep up behind him._

_"My, how the tables have turned."_

_He jumped at the low, husky voice that echoed from behind him and spun around to face a shape hidden by the darkness. He squinted._

_"Who the hell are you?"_

'Was it just me, or did his voice tremble?' 

_The same throaty voice chuckled. _

_"Who are you?" _

_"None of your goddamn business." he snapped. _

_"I think it's my goddamn business why you tried to take my life." The laugher in his voice disappeared leaving behind icy coldness. _

_A heavy knot formed in his throat as the realization sunk in. A chilly feeling birthed in his stomach and crept up the spine, but his hands felt hot and clammy, his mouth suddenly dry._

_"Well?" Duo was getting slightly impatient._

_He swallowed painfully. _

_"…witness…I was told…I-I couldn't…"_

Witness? What was he blabbering about? Then suddenly it hit me. A witness to Heero's shooting. I was so shocked when it happened, but, I did look for a shouter. I remember now, I looked around and saw Him. The shock must have been so great that in a hurry to repair my nervous system, my brain blocked out that part of the tragedy. I remember so clearly now. As if in slow motion, I looked over Heero's shoulder as he was falling and for a brief moment I saw Him up on the roof of the Court House. **He** was the one who had attempted put Heero's life to an end! My soul screamed in hatred, fueling the flames of rage that burned where my once violet eyes had been. 

I advanced slowly, very slowly. He backed away, but in his fear had forgotten that there was nothing but a wall behind him. He only remembered when his now damp back made contact with the cool stone of the building, and I saw pure terror in his feverish face.

"Why did you try to kill him?" I hissed once I was less than an arm's length from him. 

He prattled senselessly, his tongue tripping over his own teeth and mouth. The only words that I had heard were 'Relena Dorlain'.

My eyes widened.

"Relena?" I snapped, my voice coming out harsher than intended. 

He nodded swiftly. "Yes, yes, it was all her, all her."

"_You_ were the one who took the shot, you must pay the consequences." I growled. "A life for a life."

With that I snapped his neck. Just like that, as easily as wood it was broken and he fell to the pavement, dead. I had never intended to kill him, but now as I walked away I felt no remorse. Perhaps I was retreating back into the hard shell of a soldier that I had thought died that night that the war ended, perhaps not. All I knew was that they had to pay for what they did to Heero. **He** was taken care of and now I was going to pay Relena a visit.

*          *          *

_Relena Dorlain-Peacecraft pushed open the door to her mansion and_ _walked in tiredly, heading directly for her bedroom. The room was dark, and just as she reached for the light switch a dark shape detached itself from the shadows and stepped forward. She shrieked and her purse cluttered to the floor. _

"Relena." My voice was icily calm.

She strained to see into the darkness. 

"Duo? Is that you?" she gasped, her chest heaving with heavy breaths. 

"Why did you do it, Relena?" I hadn't bothered clarifying, I was sure she knew. 

The blonde bent down and retrieved her fallen purse, then headed toward the dresser with it.

"Why did I do what? Sign that peace treaty?" 

She was lying right through her teeth and I knew it. But damn, she was good, I had to give her that. Not surprising, actually, if you think about it. She _was_ a politician.  

            "Don't play princess with me, Relena," I snarled, my features -at least those visible- twisted in fury.

"You're one who's playing games, Duo." she snipped. "How did you get into my house?" 

Once more she reached for the light switch and flipped it, nothing. I smiled inwardly. Who the hell did she take me for? Cutting the power and telephone lines were the standard procedure. 

"Why did you hire someone to kill Heero?"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Heero…" Her voice barely audible, but I heard it. 

That single word made me understand immediately. Relena had loved Heero, she always had, but he never saw it. Or as I suspected, never wanted to see it. Relena wasn't the one for him, I don't think anyone out there was for him. Heero was a loner, but she wouldn't accept that he would never be hers. 

"Don't you understand? From the moment I had met him he has caused me so much pain, he had to die, Duo, he _had_ to." She had begun shaking then, her entire body trembling, and hot sweat dampening her hair. 

"He had to, Duo. It was the only way." She turned to me, her voice sugary sweet, yet insane. "And now you must die, Duo, for you know my secret." 

She watched me through her hair that fell over her face as she spoke, then suddenly leaped in a catlike motion and tackled me to the ground. I grabbed her wrists just as she was about to attack me, her fingers curled inward, her long nails ready to assail. She struggled in my grasp, but I held her firmly. She was no match for me.

"No Relena," I whispered, "_You_ must die."  

*          *          *

Relena's eyes opened, but she saw nothing apart from darkness. Her joints cramped of discomfort and sweat ran down her face. Attempting to stretch, she raised her arms, but as soon as she did, they hit a barricade. She shrugged it off and bent her feet, her knees immediately hitting against something. Beginning to panic, she raised her hands slightly, and felt her surroundings. The ceiling was only a few inches above her face and breathing heavily, she pushed on it. At first it wouldn't bulge, but then as it moved faintly, a slight crack appeared to her left. Her head turned as she felt something on her shoulder and her mouth froze open in silent horror as she saw dirt and worms pour in. She dropped the lid; it caught a fat brown worm and it writhed in front of her.

_She began to scream as realization sunk in._

_Buried alive._

*          *          *

A strange smirk played on my lips as I left the Peacecraft estate that night. Relena was safely 'taken care of' in the garden, but I had to let my mind wonder; how many more victims like Heero were out there? How many more grieving friends like me were left behind as their loved ones were shamelessly taken away? 

I nodded silently to myself, as if coming to a conclusion. They had to pay, they all had to pay and the dead had to be avenged. I guess I would have to play Shinigami, the God of Death, once more.

"Duo Maxwell," the prosecutor's voice was loud and metallic in the chamber. "Former pilot 02 and one of the war's greatest heroes. You had been charged with thirteen counts of first-degree murder, including the one of the Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlain-Peacecraft, over the course of the past two months and therefore have been sentenced to the death penalty. Do you have any last requests?"

His head raised slightly, violet eyes gleaming from beneath chestnut bangs. 

"Yeah. Tell Heero I'll see him in Hell."

*          *          *

The next morning, Heero awoke in his hospital room for the first time in over two months. Everyone who he had ever considered as a friend, vocally proclaimed or simply understood, was there except the only one he had ever really considered to be more than an acquaintance. Perhaps even a best friend.

"Where is Duo?" he forced out painfully.

Sad eyes looked away, unable to answer him.  

A/N: Okay, I know, I know, I'm supposed to post the sequel to "Predator" and continue "Obsession". The sequel, I do have started and I'm just doin' some final editing to the Prologue, and I kinda have writer's block on "Obsession". Anyhow, this was a school assignment for English. We had to write a short story, and my teacher said I could do a fanfic. It got handed in yesterday, so I still got my fingers crossed hopin' for a good grade ^^; Good news though, mine and Alexia Goddess' co-fic is bein' put up sometime this week, so look out for that. Anyway, hope you liked, and PLEASE review, I wanna know what you think!

~Arion


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